Gehot, Jean or Joseph

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Gehot, Jean or Joseph

Gehot, Jean or Joseph, Belgian violinist and composer; b. Brussels, April 8, 1756; d. in the U.S., c. 1820. He went to London after 1780, where he publ. A Treatise on the Theory and Practice of Music (1784), The Art of Bowing the Violin (1790), and Complete Instructions for Every Musical Instrument (1790). In 1792, he went to the U.S. and gave concerts in N.Y., presenting his Overture in 12 movements, expressive of a voyage from England to America. He then played violin at the City Concerts in Philadelphia, under the management of Reinagle and Capron. However, he failed to prosper in America. Most of his works were publ. in London, among them 17 string quartets, 12 string trios, and 24 “military pieces’” for 2 Clarinets, 2 Horns, and Bassoon.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire